The Laburnum Top - Master Notes

I. Core Concept

The poem portrays a mutually beneficial relationship between a Laburnum tree (silent and still) and a Goldfinch bird (vibrant and noisy). The bird brings life to the tree, and in return, the tree provides a safe shelter for the bird's young ones.

II. Progressive Analysis

Stage 1: The Silence (Autumn) "The Laburnum top is silent, quite still..."

The tree stands in the yellow September sunlight. Yellowing leaves and fallen seeds suggest a state of dormancy or death. The atmosphere is quiet and inanimate.

Stage 2: The Eruption (The Arrival) "Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt..."

The Goldfinch arrives with a sudden startlement. Her entry into the "thickness" starts a "machine" of chitterings and wing tremors. She is the "engine" that fuels her family and thrills the tree into life.

Stage 3: The Departure (The Infinite) "Then with eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings..."

After feeding her young, the bird flirts out to a branch end, shows her masked face, and launches away into the sky. The Laburnum tree subsides to empty once again.

III. Important Imagery

The Color Yellow: Dominates the poem (sunlight, flowers, bird, leaves). It symbolizes both the beauty of nature and the silence of the impending winter.
Machine/Engine Metaphor: The bird is compared to an engine because she provides the energy (food) that keeps her family (the machine) running.
Lizard Simile: Comparing the bird's sleek and cautious movement to a lizard shows her alertness and suddenness.

IV. Poetic Devices

Onomatopoeia: "Chitterings", "trillings", "chirrup"—words that imitate the actual sounds of birds.

Personification: "The whole tree trembles and thrills"—attributing human-like excitement to the tree.

Transferred Epithet: "Her barred face identity mask"—the bars are her markings, which act as a mask identifying her to her young.

"A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen. Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching chirrup A suddenness, a startlement at a branch end."

[Q] Describe the state of the tree before the bird arrives.

Observation:

The tree is in a state of Dormancy/Silence. The yellowing leaves and fallen seeds represent the onset of autumn and a lack of vitality. It is a quiet, inanimate part of the landscape.

"It is the engine of her family. She stokes it full, then flirts out to a branch-end..."

[Q] Why is the bird called the "engine" of her family?

Metaphor:

Just as an engine provides power to a machine, the Goldfinch provides Food and Life (fuel) to her chirping young ones (the machine). Her arrival is what triggers the 'noise' and 'activity' of the brood.

[Q] What is the significance of the "barred face identity mask"?

Analysis:

The goldfinch has black-striped (barred) markings on her face. Against the yellow laburnum flowers, these markings act as a "mask." It is her unique identifier that tells her young ones that their mother has arrived.

[Q] Explain: "The whole tree trembles and thrills."

Imagery:

The sudden energy of the bird and the excitement of the feeding chicks make the tree vibrate with life. It is no longer just a plant; it becomes a living, breathing entity of sound and motion.

[Q] What happens at the end of the poem?

Conclusion:

The bird flies away into the "infinite" (the sky), and the Laburnum tree subsides to empty. The momentary burst of life vanishes, and the tree returns to its initial state of silence.

[Q6] Simile used for the bird?

"Sleek as a lizard"—describing her quick and cautious movement.

[Q7] Months mentioned?

September (Autumn).

The Laburnum Top - Glossary & Facts

Glossary & Poetic Symbols

The Laburnum Top: Ted Hughes

Laburnum: A tree with yellow flowers and poisonous seeds.

Goldfinch: A small bird with yellow feathers on its wings.

Twitching: A sudden, small, jerky movement.

Startlement: Sudden surprise or shock.

Sleek: Smooth and glossy (movement).

Chitterings: Rapid repetitious bird sounds.

Stokes: To feed or add fuel (metaphorically).

Barred: Marked with stripes or bands.

Subsides: Sinks or returns to a lower/quieter level.

Simile: "Sleek as a lizard".

Metaphor: "The engine of her family".

Onomatopoeia: "Trillings", "Chirrup", "Chitterings".

The Laburnum seeds are poisonous.

The poem highlights Symbiosis between bird and tree.

The "Infinite" refers to the Endless Sky.

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The Laburnum Top

Extract Qs - The Golden Harmony

Glossary & Poetic Symbols